Track liner and method of applying same



R. J. WELLS TRACK LINER AND METHOD 0F APPLYING SAME Dec. 4, 192s.

Filed June 27, 1927 ELM... A m u N Patented Dec. 4, 1928.

RALPH JrwELLs, 0F DAYT'oir, oH'Io.-

TitAcK LINER, AND METHOD 0F arPLYING Salvini Application filed June 27, 1912.7. YSerial Noz 201,640.

My invention ielates to railway track construction, and particularlyto means and methods of applyingrail `liners or cushion materials to absorb rail vibration and exclude moisture. y y y The vibration of track railsdue to passing traflic has a deteriorating effectupon the road bed tending to displace and disturb the fill material and open crevices adjacent to the rails through which water is admitted.

Thewater enteringthrough such crevices not' only softens the road bed materiah'but the freezing and thaw-ing with its Vconsequent eX- pansion during the winter season causes crumbling` and hastens the deterioration of the roadbed. rThis destructive action incident to rail vibration is particularly notice-l able inV paved track and wherethe track had v been concreted. The. vibration of the rails` causes disintegration of the concrete andpaving material andinduces cracks and breakage of such road bed material in addition toY thek crevices opened contiguous to the rails. Attempts have heretofore been made to .overcome this 'difficulty by providing'preformedA raillinersof asphalt, or the like, molded into strips or bars which conform to the contour of the track rail. To be effective, however, such material mustbe sufficiently sticky to adhere to the sides of the track rail and also to the contiguous portion of the road bed fill material.v Such molded liners sufficiently soft and sticky to 'serve-the purpose well i are inconvenient to handle and stick to each other lprior to introduction into the trackv structure. To overcome this difficulty in handling. it is customary yto coat the surface of such liners with marble dust or fine sand, or the like. rial to enable handling, subsequently prevents a perfect union or adherence of the liner to the trackrails and the road bed material and thus defeats the purpose. Moreover, such preformed liners ijequire'vextreme care inl theirA application. The workmen do Anot always place the liners carefully in close contact with the-railsand sometimes the liners bend out of shape thereby leaving airpockets. Another difficulty of'such pre-formed liners is encountered vin cold weather when such material becomes hard and brittle and. subJect to excessive breakageduringinstal-- lation. y 4

The present invention is intended to overcome these difficulties of installation by form- Theuseof such-surface mate ing'the liner in situ subsequent to the comple` tion of thetrack `structure and the paving or concreting ofl the road bed. To this end formsv are' inserted adjacent to the track rail which confine the road. bed material, whether it be earth flll.,`concreteorbrick pavinggleav-l ing' in juxtaposition to the web of the track rail and beneath the head flange thereof a longitudinall V'chamber havingf a` co'nstricted access slot Vac ljacenttothe flangeof the rail. lhen tlieconcrete fill has sufficiently set or thepaving has been completed over the road` I bed, such spacing forn'i's are withdrawn and` the space or chamber intermediate the rail and road bed material is filled with a plastic This material preferably an asphalt basev containing' a filler `of other materials. `This resilient cushion material is poured into the chamber through the access yslot and allowed to setor harden therein. Itadheres closely` and uniformly to the trackrail andthe adjacent face of the vpavement or the fill of` concrete-or Aother material. :By tliusmold-- ingl the linerin situ the difficulties of` handlingV areo'bviated and a perfect union of the material with the rail andadjacent faceof the'roadbed'or fill material `is established. t.

The lobject ofthe invention is' to simplify the form as well as the means and mode of applyingrai'l liners toy railway construction,

`whereby they will not only be 'cheapened but will be more efficient, capable of being yeasily and quickly applicd'and adaptable'to vary-A ing conditions and irregularities of surfaces and affording insurance against the formal-, tion ofair pockets. I i

A further object of the yinvention yis to provide an improved form of track seal which will excludemoisture. Y

A further object ot' the yinvei'ition is to provide an improved form of cushion or resilient bond between the trackrailand theioad bed filling' material which will dampen vibration and protect the road bedmaterial and paving against deterioration.; Y l 9 4 j A further object of the invention is to provide an improved form for ,confining theroad bed material to produce intermediate `the road bed fill and rail. a chamber having a ent 'sealing material.

or semi-fluid cushion and'sealingymaterial.

A further object of theinvention to! providea method of applying in situa b odyof resilient sealingmaterial tor track rails;y

With the above primary and other incidental objects in View as Will more fully appear inthe specification, the inventioncons1sts of thefeatures of construction, the parts and combinations thereof, and the modeof operation, or theirequivalents, ashereinafter described and set forthin the claims."

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Fig. l isa transverse sectional View offa portion a railway track construction to which the present invention has been applied, illustrating therein successivestages'of the process ormethod. Fig. 2 is a detail perspective View showing a form memberpositioned beside a track rail preparatory to filling or p'avingthe A road bed. Fig. 3 is a detail view `illustrating y:lo

. angle bars 3; v

erably superposed -upon a bed or stratum of y the surface pavement, if ltheilatter Vis to bev laid, forms are set on -oppositesides of the claimed in prior patents. y

cross ties may be employed if desired. The

a modification of the form member. l' Fig; 4

is a detail perspective view lof a further modificationof the `form member. Fig.; 5 illus"- trates afmodification of the method or process wherein the cushion materialinplastic form li)s applied to the rails prior to filling the'track Like parts aregindicated by'similar characters of reference throughout the several views. l y y VIn the accompanying drawings l-'l represent the track rails mounted upon any suit? able cross tie.` In the present construction the rails l arel shown mounted upon the sleeper blockV Ql-Q interconnected by transverse The sleeper blocks 2 are prefasphaltor other cushion material. `Suchtie construction forms no part of the present invention but is fully and clearl described and ridinary wood cross ties ofv whatever type are embedded in Ya lill of concrete or gravel ballast as is usual. Before completing the road bedf fill aand rails 1-1 to limit the approach of the filling material and pavement toward the rails. Such form sid-e may be an ordinary plankas shown at 5 in Fig. 1,* which` is set on edge in a vertical plane beside the rail 1 with the top margin of the plank bearing `against the side of the rail flange or head. s i y `This form memberor plank 5 affords beneath the rail flange or head and between the plank 5 and theweb'ofthe raill `1,-a longitudinal chamber 6. After the fill has been com- I pleted intermediate the rails l, at opposite sides thereof, and the surface pavement laid, the form plankA is withdrawn. This leaves beside the flange or head of the rail l a substantially parallel slot, (previouslyoccupied by the margin of the plank) communicating with theehamber 6. Resilient sealing material, preferably asphalt intermixed with a suitable filler material, is poured through Vthe slot into the chamber `6 While in afmolten or semi-fluid condition. The` Vliquid asphalt or other resilient sealing materiall completely rfills the chamber or passage 6 `and conforms closely to the surfaces ofthe rail 1 and the body 440i filling material. Not onlydoes the material poured within the chamber 6 completely fill `such chamber, but it adheres to the walls of thechamber forming perfect l union therewith to exclude water. By pouring the material into the chamber or passage 6 while in a soft or fluid condition such ma-` l terial will flow aboutand confoimto the bolt heads and `nuts andto the spike heads as well"V as'other irregularities of surface, and the liner 7 thus formed becomes a continuous strip or body, wlrereas preformed liner strips must necessarily be installed vin sections.

so..V

In lieu of' anordinary plank 5 used as a` formmember for confining the body of filler.

flange 10` at thetop ofthe form member 8 V bears against theA side offthe `rail head lor flange to hold the form `side 8 sufiiciently spaced therefrom toafford `the entrance or con'imunicating slotthrough which' the resil-` i ient` sealing` material may bedeposited-to form theliner?.` rVVhetherthe simple form y of. a plank 5 or the flanged-sheetmetal form 8VV is employed, U shaped okes l1 are foundcon` venient for holding tie form side'm'embers in their adjusted positions relativeto the -rail leo l `while the fill and paving is being completed on opposite 'sides of the rail. Suchyokes 11 are adapted to simultaneousl` hold formmembers on `opposite sides o the rail` 1.- Upon completion of the ,H114 of road bed material, or the paving ofthe road bed) as the case may be,jthe formniembersare preferably withdrawn.V The shape of 'the form member is such that upon being elevated suf# ficiently to bring the lower lateral flange l0 les l in

beneath the head of the rail, thevform may be turnedlaterally as shown by dotted lines to enable the removal of the lower flanged portion l() through the slot intermediate the rail and the fill of Aroad bedmaterialglf neces-` sary, the flanged portion 10 may be bent or flexed outwardly by pulling upon theformv 8 during its removal toenable the angleof the formltonpass through the slot. Fig. 3

there is shown a modification where in lieu of i the lower lateral integral flange l0, the forni rside 8 is provided with pivote'd spacer Varms which rest upon the base of the rail anda-but againstythe `web portion thereof to hol-litho lower' part of the formS in its'adjustedposi-Q` i tion. Upon withdrawing the form 8` Vthe spacing fingers 12 will fold` downwardly l about their pivotalv connection 13 to pass leo Y Veasily through the slot intermediate the i'illof road bed material and the head or ytlangeof the rail lV through the slot formed by the lat.- eral iange 9 of the form. i.

If desired the sheet metal forms may be pern'ianently embedded and left in the road bed..- In such case the top flange 9 Would be cutaway intervals as at 9l in Fig. t to enable access to the chamber (iter deposit or the cushionmaterial.- l i y IVhile the preferable method is to pour the resilient sealing material into the chamberor passage 6A While in. a semi-fluid or v. molten state, an alternative method is to a-pply'the .niaterial in a plastic 4form directly to the side-.ot the rail, filling the recess between the head or flange of the rail and the basethereof prior to, depositing the iill of road bed material. Suchmfodiiied method is illust-rated in Fig. Instead of'pre-iorming the liner 7 in a molded bar the material inasoftzor plastic. condit-ionis applied to the rail'side Withia trowel orcis tamped :or rammed into place and into close conformity. Witlrthe rail as shown :rtl4 prior to tlievdepositoiLl the fille. o'l road bed material. The flatter, Whether ot earth or or concrete, when depositedwill conform to the side of the liner 7--Sothat the linerof resilient sealing material Will forma close Contact therewith. 1 j

In lieu of applying the material in aplastic form as shown at Min vFig. 5, it may be poured ror molded in situ in quite the same manner asthat heretofore describedbyl pou ring the semi-liquid lor Vmolten materialy betweenthe rail and the formv member 8 as shown at 16 inF ig. 5. In this instance the form member 8 is not providedwvith the bottom inturned flange 1,0 ,but isformed lvvithan oiiiset or rabbet lrestingxagainst the base oi therail ,to insure properl spacing of the sheet metal form member 8. The top iiange 9 of such form member is cut away or removed atspaced intervals as' at 9 to enable the deposit of the sealing and cushion material Within the chamber formed intermediate the sheet'metal t'orm side. 8 andthe web or the rail.Y p l Aiter the material has set the `torni. may be stripped troni the deposited cushion materialV 'i6 and the concrete or other roadbcd fill material subsequently deposited in Contact With the deposit of cushion material. In 'this case the grouting or concrete fill or paving, as the case may be, Will conform closely to the de.- posit .of cushion or filling material. I'Iowover. the method of depositing theconcrete or road bed material first and subsequentlypouifL ing the cushion or sealing material' while in a. semi-fluidcondition is to` be preferred since it insures uniform. adhesion of :the cushion material to the road bed ill'or concrete as Well as to the rail and affords a continuous resilient bond. A

To facilitate' the loosening Aor .strip-ping of vweb.

thefform memberswrromthefeoncrete or road bed depositasmall clearance lis .preferably leift betaveen theform and the side .of theirail head. At the right in yEig- 1, ivedgesl'?v have been shown interposed between; the form' plank''and the rail.' By.removalof` the wedges thegplank 571s alloi'vedsuiicient'move'- ment towardv the rail to facilitate itsseparation fromthe concrete deposit'or-.pavingpre+ paratory to removal. In lieu Vofi-the Wedges 17 the retaining yokes 11;(Fiig. 2), maybe provided vwith dependent fingers ,18; project;- ing intermediate the form. memberand the rail head to insure the relative spacingof; the torni sides .and provide aclearancespace sufi'icient to facilitate the stripping. or .loosening oi'fthe sheet metal formi l i Vyhil'e thecushion or sealing material has been described asasphaltor an asphalt base with suitable liller, it is Vto be' understoodthat it is' not; limited to this particular material. IVhile a. material ot :bituminous characterfis preferred, not only for.A its-convenience orl ap.- plieation but for its resilience and non-deteriorating characteristics, it is to be understood that other materials ornon-bituminousiehar aeter but capable of assuming `aplastioor semi-liquid character which facilitates its deposit through the restrictedslot intothe chamber beside the rail, may beemplo-yedin ytothe specific details shown, b'uti thatfthe means and construction herein 'disclosed comprise thejpreferred form of.y severalI modes. o t putting the linvention linto e'lieeta` and the invention is thereforey claimedin any otits forms or modifications Within the legitimate and valid scope of the-appended claims. lk

Having thus describedmly invention, I

l. In a railway track construction; the comd bination With a railincluding ahead portion, a web and a base,v ofa body offroa'd bed ma'- terial terminating in a substantially `vert-ical plane contiguous to the head. of' the rail; and a body otresilient materialinolded in*A situ beneath the head of the rail andfagainst: the

Web thereofand filling `the :space between. the

body; of road bed lmaterial and.v` the Vrail 2. In a railwayN track construction, the conn binationi withr arailway. ra1l,' including ahead head of the rail and moldedin situ' into conformitywith the rail Web `and filling the v space intermediate the web of the rail and the concrete body. j z

3.` The herein described methodot railway -trackV construction yincluding positioning a form member in spacedrelation with a rail- Way rail to, form a linear creviceadjace'nt to the rail flange communicating with an en largedchamber beneath the rail head andcontiguous to the web of the rail, depositing road bed material beside said form and filling the chamber with plastic material deposited throu h said crevice; Y

4. he herein described method of railway track construction including positioning a removable form member adjacentto a track rail :to form a` chamber contiguous to and parallel to the rail, depositing road bed material at-.one sideof said form, removing the `form and filling-the 'chamber with plastic material.` c c i5. .The herein described method of railway trackconstructionincluding positioning a removable form member adjacent to a trackV rail, depositing road paving .material at one sideof the form which is confined thereby in spaced relation `with the rail to afford a contiguous parallel chamber having a constri'cted entrance slot adjacent. f

. 6. Inl a construction of the character'described, the combination with a railway rail of flange of Whichengages the rail Aadjacent to its base portion, said form serving to confine the adjacent road fill material in spaced relation with the rail to afford an intermediatev chamber having a constricted entrance slot to receive abody of sealing materialdeposited in said chamber through said slot subsequent fto Y the removal of theform."V c 7. In a construction of the character described, the combination with a railway rail `ofa form member serving to confine adjacent .A road fill material in spaced relation with the Y body of concrete deposited adjacentl thereto,vk

Vrail to forman intermediate chamber, means means for forming a chamber intermediate the web of the rail and the body of concrete,

faidchamber having an access opening theretoV and a body of-resilientsealinglmatcrial deposited in said chamber through said access opening. Y

Y 9. In a construction of the character de?` scribed,`the combination with a track rail, of

va body of resilientsealing material formed in situ against said rail and completely filling the lateral recess ofthe rail from its base to its head and extending from the web of therail to a substantially verticalplane approximately flush with the side of the rail head, and a body of concrete'molded in situ and separatedV Y from the rail by said intermediate body of resilient sealing material. y i

described,` kthe combination with a track rail .i 86' l0. In a track construction of the character including head, base andweb'portions, of a scribed, the combination with a track rail of i a body of resilient material molded in situbej c neath the head ofthe rail and' cont-iguousto the web thereof anda body of concrete road bed material molded insitu and contacting the resilient body, the first deposited body forming a wall for confining the second deposited body. y j j .Y Y

12. The combina-tionwith a track rail of a body of resilient materialgmolded in situ beside the rail,filling the channel beneath the railhead and terminating in aV substantially ino vertical plane therebeyond, and a body Vof f road bed material abutting thereon.

13. The'combination vwith a track rail of a body of road bed material terminating ina substantially vertical plane exteriorly of the headof the rail, and a deposit of resilient material molded in situ beneath the rail head and beside the'web of the rail completely filling such space and abutting upon the Vroad bed material. Y ,g f

14. The combination with a railway rail of a form member located beside the rail 'and extending from :the base to the head thereof llo situ beneath theheadsof therail and against erally spacedfrolnthe side of the rail head.

16. In` combination, Va track rail comprisjV ing a head, a web and la base, and a. paving structure adjacent i thereto and comprising j substantially non-elastic material terminating at said base with a cavity between the paving material and web `extending from the head to the base and a filler of plastic material molded in situ filling said cavity and supported by said substantially non-elastic material against extrusion beyond said base.`

17. The herein described method, consisting in positioningr a form member beside a railway rail in a substantially vertical position extending from the base to the head of the rail, thereby forming at one side a space to receive plastic mate-rial adjacent to the web of the rail and beneath the head thereof and forming at the opposite side of the form member a space to receive road bed material, filling one of said spaces with the corresponding afore-mentioned material, removing the form member and subseqnentl illing the other space with the other mentioned material.

18. The herein described method, consisting in positioning a form member beside a railway rail in a substantially vertical position extending from the base to the head of the rail, thereby forming at one side a space to receive plastic material adjacent to the Web of the rail and beneath the head thereof and forming at the opposite side of the form -member aspace to receive road bed material.,

lilling one of said spaces With the correspond- `ing aforementioned material and filling the other rial.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 15th day of June, A. D. 1927.

RALPH J. WELLS.

space With the other mentioned mate- 

